The present invention relates to a single-lens reflex camera in which signals are transmitted between an interchangeable viewfinder and an interchangeable lens.
In one conventional single-lens reflex camera of this same general type, an interchangeable viewfinder is mounted on a viewfinder mount of the camera body, and an interchangeable lens is detachably mounted on the lens mount thereof. In order to transmit signals between the interchangeable viewfinder and the interchangeable lens, mating signal contacts are provided on the interchangeable viewfinder and the viewfinder mount, while other mating signal contacts are provided on the interchangeable lens and the lens mount. Signals are thereby transmitted through the camera body between the interchangeable viewfinder and the interchangeable lens. In another approach, a relay cable is connected between the interchangeable viewfinder and the lens mount and signals are transmitted therethrough without passing through the camera body.
In the conventional single-lens reflex camera in which signals are transmitted between the interchangeable lens and the interchangeable viewfinder through the camera body, it is necessary to provide contacts and connecting wires on and in the camera body, and hence the number of components is large. Furthermore, in addition to the abovedescribed signal contacts, contacts for transmitting signals between the camera body and the interchangeable lens and between the camera body and the interchangeable viewfinder must be provided on the connecting parts of the lens mount and the viewfinder mount. Therefore, the connecting parts are congested with the contacts. Accordingly, the contacts may not work satisfactorily. In addition, the space available for the contacts is limited, and thus the number of contacts is limited, limiting the number of signals which can be carried. On the other hand, in a camera in which a relay cable is used so that signals are transmitted between the interchangeable lens and the interchangeable viewfinder without passing through the camera body, the relay cable must be disconnected and reconnected whenever the interchangeable lens or the interchangeable viewfinder is changed, making replacement of the interchangeable lens or viewfinder troublesome.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide a single-lens reflex camera of a type having an interchangeable viewfinder and an interchangeable lens in which, according to the invention, signal contacts for transmitting signals between the interchangeable viewfinder and the interchangeable lens are arranged on the interchangeable viewfinder and the interchangeable lens in such a manner that the signal contacts are connected to one another when the interchangeable viewfinder and the interchangeable lens are mounted on the body of the camera, whereby the number of components is reduced, the contacts operate with high stability, more signals can be transmitted therebetween, and replacement of the interchangeable lens or viewfinder can be readily achieved.